Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp is a movie directed by Jonathan A. Rosenbaum. It stars Eric Bauza, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Tom Kenny.
Basing on Woody, a character given life by producer Walter Lantz and cartoonist Ben “Bugs” Hardaway. Woody was a star from the 40s to 72. Yes, fifty years have passed, but here is Woody again, with all of the animation spirit.
Like what happened with the cinema adaptation of Tom & Jerry, this movie picks up an almost forgotten old cartoon and is, indeed, totally faithful to its original style: same characters, same jokes and, in current times, some might argue a bit out of context.
There will be those who like this blend of times in a kind of space-time wormhole … and others might not.
A movie totally designed for the youthful audience or for the nostalgics … very nostalgic ones.
Plot
Woody makes life miserable for everyone, causing the animals to expel him from the forest until he learns to behave and work in a team. As it happens, he comes across a children’s camp where, with them, he learns the lessons of teamwork and camaraderie … without losing his fun essence at all.
About the movie
Yes, it’s obvious but we have to say it: “Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp” mixes live action with animation, as they did in Roger Rabbit and in so many other subsequent movies. The movie has vibrant cinematography, with almost TV-like colors, and the animation retains its retro touch, even though we’re talking about the latest in 3D animations.
The challenge, of course, was to combine the modern with the classic, keeping the spirit of the original: mission accomplished. “Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp” is a movie that keeps everything, even the jokes, and has the essence of the most mischievous woodpecker in the forest and his particular and inimitable war cry. The question is: Will it still be funny after all these years? That’s for the new generations to answer, as this film is especially dedicated to them with its characters, style, and script.
Did we like it? We can’t confirm, but we also can’t deny that the movie achieves its purpose, but we can’t imagine the new generations missing a retro cartoon they haven’t even heard of, and it certainly isn’t a movie intended for a more adult audience nor are its jokes thought-provoking.
Our opinion
A movie designed for nostalgia that, however, forgets about the nostalgics and creates a product for the youngest ones who, time travel aside, won’t know who Woody is.
Success is found in the strangest, miraculous and unusual combinations in this infinite space-time of parallel universes that, as if by chance, decided to resurrect Woody.
